Check out the delicious sourdough pizzas; the best bet is copiously crowned with spinach, an egg, olives, garlic, tomato sauce & parmesan cheese for only RM15. It's a terrific representation of how a pizza should taste, with toppings that complement each other beautifully & a crisply smoky, fresh-tasting base that strikes that not-too-thick, not-too-thin balance.

The Soda Factory's sourdough waffles might prove polarising though; we like how they're discernibly dense in the vein of the Liege variation, but some patrons might prefer fluffier waffles. Enjoy with Nutella sauce, strawberries & vanilla ice cream (RM15); even though both the pizzas & waffles could be calorie bombs, they somehow feel light enough to be low-guilt pleasures.

Floats are fun here; customers can mix & match sparkling soda flavours with a variety of ice cream. Our combo: Lemonade & lengkuas with a scoop of pistachio ice cream (RM9). No worries, not too sugary in the least.

(Former) President Bartlet's beloved beverage _ egg cream (RM9) _ is also available here: Freshly mixed milk, soda water & maple syrup work together to form the ideal beat-the-heat refreshment.

And with that, we segue into Encore, only a thirty-second stroll away.

Encore taps the skills of Australian-based pastry chef Barry Symington to blast out sweet treats like the St Honore dessert of puff pastry with chiboust cream, as well as slices of luscious-looking mille-feuille ...

Many of the pastries cost RM14 each, on the higher end of expectations, though it's probable that pricey ingredients went into producing them. Savoury specialities like beef pies & mushroom quiches are also available.

And yep, Encore serves coffee (it comes from a land Down Under). Expect to hear a happy amount about The Soda Factory & Encore in the weeks to come; both will inexorably attract curious cats & eager beavers throughout this inaugural quarter of 2014.

The Soda Factory

15, Jalan Bukit Desa 5, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur.

Same row as Sanuki Udon. Seems to currently open only on weekends, 11am-10pm, but will surely change that later. Call 016-682-2221 to confirm.

Encore Patisserie Cafe

1, Jalan Bukit Desa 5, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur

Open 10am-10pm daily

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Bob and Julie: yeah, you could experiment with a cool range of float recipes here ... for example, camomile-grapefruit soda with chocolate mint ice cream perhaps :D lengkuas is galangal, kinda similar to ginger ... it was one of my grandmother's favourite ingredients for curries ... and i hear you, i need a really cold drink too! :D

CK: ooo, and just after you left taman desa, all the outlets started opening! come back, come back! :D haha, ya, the old restaurant is now a new restaurant. will probably put it in one post with a lot of different ramen outlets, maybe =)

YouHadYourLunch: yeah, it doesn't quite scream 'sourdough' in terms of taste and texture, and customers shouldn't expect the waffle or the pizza base to taste like regular sourdough bread, but you're right, it's a very interesting choice! :)